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TonyMac

So where did it all go wrong?

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It's a hard task getting the youngsters in though, if they are just not interested at all. There is obviously a stigma that needs to be lost before youngsters at least think about giving it a go.    

 

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4 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

It's a hard task getting the youngsters in though, if they are just not interested at all. There is obviously a stigma that needs to be lost before youngsters at least think about giving it a go.    

 

You're dead right and I think it is more a problem with those in their teenage years and slightly beyond rather than the young children. 

You'd think that a sport that has racing on bikes without brakes that do 0-60 in 3 seconds would be attractive..................

 

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It probably would be more attractive if other things went on as well.  These teenagers are the play station generation and smart phone generation.  They are used to everything being there instantly at a touch of a button and hit reset if they don't like it. A speedway meeting is a drawn out borefest for most of the 2 and a bit hours you are there.  

 

Maybe they should take a group of youngsters..and ask them how to improve an evening at the speedway and what would make them want to  up. Like some sort of focus group.

Edited by Baldyman

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1 minute ago, Baldyman said:

It probably would be more attractive if other things went on as well.  These teenagers are the play station generation and smart phone generation.  They are used to everything being there instantly at a touch of a button and hit reset if they don't like it. A speedway meeting is a drawn out borefest for most of the 2 and a bit hours you are there.  

 

Maybe they should take a group of youngsters..and ask them how to improve an evening at the speedway and what would make them up. Like some sort of focus group.

I hate to say this but..................Isle of Wight do that :D

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Do they?? I didn't know that....and how is that working?? If they can't think of what would enhance their chances of attending..then a few old duffers don't stand a chance.

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They target youth groups, schools, scout and guide troops and let them into a meeting for free. They then ask them what they think of it and how it can be improved.

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Fans and riders not singing off the same hymn sheet.

Fans want teams...Riders want to be 'Individuals'

Fans want continuity...not team changes every season.

Costs to run the sport too high...riders wages, maintenance, track prep etc

Facilities poor compared to other sports of similar entrance fee.

Overpriced and poor quality food and beverages.

Way too many rain offs. Never found a way to run a meeting in the rain or facilitate covers.

Poor standard of entertainment before and between heats.

Ever increasing priority on having to make the start.

Not enough passing or strung out races. Ok in the past, but far more entertainment choices out there for the public these days.

Bikes not compatible with many British tracks.

Has become sanitised...sound, smell and sight all less than before.

Viewing the 'action' in the pits should be visable to all fans.

BSPA run like an amateur organisation. Should have a independent body.

Riders and Promoters delusional...trying to run and impersonate a high end motorcycle sport, on a garden shed income.

Speedway should have gone 'standardised' many years ago...instead of letting costs spiral on the never ending pursuit by riders to create a faster bike to the point of breaking.

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2 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

You're dead right and I think it is more a problem with those in their teenage years and slightly beyond rather than the young children. 

You'd think that a sport that has racing on bikes without brakes that do 0-60 in 3 seconds would be attractive..................

 

With having kids myself you would think so, not so when it can take 2 hours plus to complete a meeting, the attractiveness soon diminishes. Like my 13 year old daughter says "If I wanted to see tractors going round in circles, then why not go to the local farm".

Kids nowadays are brought up with the internet, instant information and streaming. Its not only speedway that has an issue with attracting the younger generation, football also has the same problem. Football clubs are only now starting to address this issue, football clubs are now offering discounted match day and season tickets to young adults, this is varied in age  from the clubs, some, its 21 year old, some even have it have 24 year old's as a young adult.

Football clubs also offer exceptional savings on season tickets, most clubs you would have to miss 4-6 matches before your out of pocket, they also reward loyal supporters with the best deal.

An example, Huddersfield town promoted to the premier league. Adult season ticket £199, 8-17 year old's £79 and £29 for under 8 year old's and if you had been a season ticket holder for the last 9 years, then you paid £100. Huddersfield having been running these promotional season tickets for 2 years now, the 2015/16 season they averaged 12,000 per match roughly, in 2016/17 they were averaging 21,000 roughly, so far this season they are averaging 24,000. True, they got promoted and have been doing well lately but still they have seen season ticket numbers treble without knowing their success.

Where speedway lets fans down, in my eyes, they treat their fans with contempt. If a meeting is cancelled before a wheel turns, you are entitled to a full refund, even up to 48 hours before the re-staged meeting you are still entitled to a full refund, failing to do so, is illegal. If you have a ticket for an event, it will state, time,date and venue, if the event is cancelled the contract is then void and a full refund must be issued on request. If the event is abandoned, this does not apply and its down to the discretion of the organisers if full or partial refunds are issued. You then have a meeting between Peterboro and Workington with a 3.00pm start, this is put back to a 5.00pm start to allow track preparation, then 48 hours before the meeting, a team member is sacked with a replacement being named and the meeting is put back another 2 hours to 7.00pm start. Now, if a football club had put back there match to allow one of their players enough time to return from international duty so they could be in the starting line up, there would be up roar, fines and point deductions would follow from the FA.

I have watched many live sport events over the years, football, rugby, boxing, cricket, athletics, F1, Le-mans etc etc. but watching a heat of speedway seriously takes some beating, but the way its being run, it has got me beat.

 

 

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This ^^^ (again), wouldn't take huge investment i.e. mostly none, to achieve most.  Nail really getting hit on the head at the moment....

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On 16/12/2017 at 9:25 PM, RobMcCaffery said:

That is downright offensive. Perhaps if instead of your ignorant ageism we have someone post some equally obnoxious homophobia and see how you like it.

Comments like that destroy any respect for the rest of your occasionally intelligent comments. Just because you post in detail and some are taken in by it all doesn't mean you're in the right. 

I've worked damn hard for speedway in my time and it would be good to think that I could still go to speedway without facing obnoxious comments from yourself about people in my age group. 

Anyway, hopefully I'll be dead soon, eh?  Uteerly disgusting. We should cater for all not just overgrown children like you. 

Just checking my facts before i respond in the morning Rob as i'm a tad ethanolic right now ,  but you're also the bus spotter  / photographer Rob McCaffery yes ?  

Perhaps you can post the "obnoxious homophobia"  styled post you've obviously thought about as you've chosen not to look at the post here,  but you've actually looked at the poster himself ?  Otherwise why bring bring homophobia into the subject ? 

Much like your posts when a family member died, this is pretty bad in my opinion.

I will say, Scb is no chum of mine  - to me as a Reading fan, he will always be Newport... and we hated Newport.. 

Anyway.

Tom

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This rob mac has always been a moaning old knob to be honest. 

 

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On 16/12/2017 at 1:41 PM, Gemini said:

 I can't help thinking as most holiday makers are only there for a week the family wouldn't be back for the next meeting anyway so they have had a nice free evening out.  :lol: Good idea for other tracks though.

Actually thats not the case.... when we give tickets away we do it via their name on the gate, on the supply of an email/telephone number (in most cases). However, the way we do it, is there is no mention of any ticket possibility until we understand where they come from... Normally people plonk their kids on a bike or senior people say "I used to love the speedway" it is the ice breaker we need to find out where they are from. However, having said that, if someone was on holiday and I thought I could help them out, why not. Actually this was indeed the case at My First Skid where the Elliott family were on holiday and they wanted their nipper, Leon, to try speedway. The school was full but some how I found a way to get them in... .they loved it.... If you care to take a look a Iwades pages you will see this lad now has his own bike, and has progressed massively in a very short space of time... Had I not been accomodating or valued their request, probably speedway would have lost a potential rider of the future  :)

Finally regards our tickets... I can throw away many tickets and it doesnt actually do anything for me..... but what does, is the follow up. Understanding why they came, why the will or will not come back, even thanking them for making use of the free ticket I gave them... and it worked. Not 100 percent for sure... but every entry was taken, they will have gone to the bar, food outlet, retail store perhaps, and in general the positivity we gained was worth the invetment.

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15 hours ago, moxey63 said:

Not even on Community Service.

We actually employed community service (you have to pay to have them unless you are a public building) and I was amazed that of the 20 or so lads that came to help us tidy Smallbrook none had been to and most had not heard of the sport. After we explained it to them, showed them a bike... they were really interested to come pay us a visit and I know of at least one who is now a regular. True story that...

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